Representatives of the Roman Catholic Church and the Russian have reached agreement on a joint statement calling for reconciliation between the people of Russia and Poland: a historic agreement on an issue that has caused enormous friction between the two countries and the two churches.

The joint statement, which is the product of two years of careful negotiations, received final approval at a meeting in Warsaw on March 15. Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill of Moscow is expected to sign the statement when he visits Poland in August.

The document, which calls for mutual forgiveness and an end to lasting animosities, represents a breakthrough in relations between Catholics and Orthodox. Archbishop Stanislaw Budzik of Lublin, who participated in the talks leading up to the agreement, noted that “never before in history” have bishops of the Polish Catholic Church joined with entered into such a joint statement with their Russian Orthodox counterparts.

Representatives of the Roman Catholic Church and the Russian have reached agreement on a joint statement calling for reconciliation between the people of Russia and Poland: a historic agreement on an issue that has caused enormous friction between the two countries and the two churches.

The joint statement, which is the product of two years of careful negotiations, received final approval at a meeting in Warsaw on March 15. Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill of Moscow is expected to sign the statement when he visits Poland in August.

The document, which calls for mutual forgiveness and an end to lasting animosities, represents a breakthrough in relations between Catholics and Orthodox. Archbishop Stanislaw Budzik of Lublin, who participated in the talks leading up to the agreement, noted that “never before in history” have bishops of the Polish Catholic Church joined with entered into such a joint statement with their Russian Orthodox counterparts.

A Google translation of the original source to which the Catholic World News item refers (an article in the March 15th Polish-language edition of L'Osservatore Romano at http://ekai.pl/wydarzenia/ekumenizm/x52306/w-sierpniu-podpisanie-oredzia/) mentions "an invitation to representatives of the Orthodox Church in Poland and the Catholic Church in Russia" as a possibility for future meetings.

I cannot find any other Internet references of the accord--especially of that issue of L'Osservatore Romano in other languages or on Interfax.

A Google translation of the original source to which the Catholic World News item refers (an article in the March 15th Polish-language edition of L'Osservatore Romano at http://ekai.pl/wydarzenia/ekumenizm/x52306/w-sierpniu-podpisanie-oredzia/) mentions "an invitation to representatives of the Orthodox Church in Poland and the Catholic Church in Russia" as a possibility for future meetings.

I cannot find any other Internet references of the accord--especially of that issue of L'Osservatore Romano in other languages or on Interfax.

I cannot think why the Polish Orthodox Bishops should not be involved in such an undertaking from the beginning.

Possible correction to my above post: I do not think that the article appeared in the Polish-language of L'Osservatore Romano, because I could find no reference to it on the Vatican website for L'Osservatore Romano. While I was toggling between the Polish text and the Google English translation trying to make some sense of it (I know little Polish), a "L'Osservatore Romano" banner appeared at the top of the screen, leading me to conclude (incorrectly?) that the article was from L'Osservatore Romano.

Nonetheless, I found a 2010 Interfax article about the first meeting of the working group--but with no mention of any involvement of the Polish Orthodox Church. I could find no followup about the Moscow session or the recent agreement.

Russian Orthodox Church and Catholic Church of Poland seek to reconcile people of two countries

Moscow, June 25, 2010 / Interfax – The Moscow Patriarchate and the Catholic Church work on a joint document covering church contribution to Russia-Poland reconciliation.

The first session of the working group of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church in Poland on the elaboration of a document on the contribution of Churches to reconciliation between peoples of Russia and Poland took place in Warsaw on June 24, the synodal Department for External Church Relations reports.

The Moscow Patriarchate was represented by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the DECR, the Catholic Church in Poland – by the Primate of Poland Archbishop Henryk Muszynski.

The working group discussed two versions of the document prepared by the Orthodox and Catholic delegations, reached agreement on its structure and main contents, and decided that they will consider the grievances of the past in the spirit of Christ compassion and mutual forgiveness, whereas experts will make thorough research into the authenticity of historical facts and interpret them. The major part of the document will contain definitions of the spheres of cooperation between the two Churches at present and in the future for the good of the peoples of Poland and Russia.

I would go so far as to say that if this does not involve the Polish Orthodox Church, it is uncanonical.

I remember a Jesuit friend of mine studying Islam with me at the University of Chicago, confronted Muslims in Jordan, asking all about ecumenical talks etc. "Why don't you talk to the Christians in your country?" he asked.

With the Copts, the Eastern Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria signs all agreements, and with the Syriacs, the Eastern Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch does the same. Poland is autocephalous of her mother Church Moscow, who cannot be signing for her and who must defer to her (Warsaw) on such matters.

sigh, typical of the Polish Orthodox as well as their colleagues in Slovakia... Why they let Moscow take the lead astounds me and it certainly solidifies the claims of the Greek Catholics that the Orthodox are really Russians in sheep's clothing. This same claim has gone on in the states for nearly a century. Some things seem never to change. I don't know the politics involved, but the perception of folks in the 'pews' (where they have them!) often seems to be misjudged by the church leaders.

sigh, typical of the Polish Orthodox as well as their colleagues in Slovakia... Why they let Moscow take the lead astounds me and it certainly solidifies the claims of the Greek Catholics that the Orthodox are really Russians in sheep's clothing. This same claim has gone on in the states for nearly a century. Some things seem never to change. I don't know the politics involved, but the perception of folks in the 'pews' (where they have them!) often seems to be misjudged by the church leaders.

The reason given by my Polish informant (who is insistent that he is Belarussian, not Polish, but a citizen of Poland, not Belarus) is "because of the tiny influence the Orthodox Church has on Polish society." Of course, when the POC didn't have Russian support, i.e. during the Polish Second Republic, all sorts of things were imposed on it. There is something to be said for a counterweight.

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